MSC to hike Europe-to-Asia reefer rates

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Mediterranean Shipping Co. on Wednesday said it will hike European refrigerated container export rates to the Middle East and Asia in mid-January.
The increases, $1,000 per 20-foot container and $1,500 per 40-foot container, are in line with increases proposed by MSC rival Maersk Line, which two weeks ago announced it was hiking reefer rates globally by around 30 percent.
MSC’s increases cover exports from all parts of Europe, including Black Sea ports.
According to the consultancy Seabury, reefer volume from Europe to Asia and the Middle East grew 1 percent through June this year. - Eric Johnson